2016 Cornas Les Arenes

The 2016 Cornas Les Arênes shows classic Cornas character (which is a hallmark of this vintage) and offers up lots of black fruits, black olive, graphite, and peppery herbs. This rich, meaty, medium to full-bodied beauty has ripe yet present tannins, good density, and a clean, pure finish. It's classic all the way and has 10-15 years of terrific drinking. The estate of firebrand Michel Chapoutier continues to operate on all cylinders, and these latest 2016 and 2017 releases are world class for this address. The 2017 whites show the gradual change toward a more reductive style of winemaking, and the wines at times have an almost Burgundian feel in their minerality, acidity, and texture. Nevertheless, they’re fabulously concentrated and rich and will need 2-4 years of cellaring. The 2016 whites showed beautifully, and I prefer those to the 2017s. The majority of the 2017 reds were tasted as barrel samples. This is a ripe, sexy, expressive vintage for the Northern Rhône, and this shows in the wines. The 2017s don’t appear to have the density of the more blockbuster styled 2015s, yet they have expressive, sunny characters that will deliver loads of charm. The 2016s having slightly more density and cooler-climate styled aromatics, yet are nevertheless some of the richest, sexiest wines in the vintage. In addition to the frightfully expensive top-tier cuvées, don’t miss the value releases from this estate. These wines max out the QPR scale and are great introductions into the wines of Chapoutier as well as the Rhône Valley.

The 2016 Cornas les Arênes is full-bodied and a bit austere—not hard, just reserved—with expressive notes of crushed stone, grilled meat and ferrous-bloody overtones. A blend of several lieux-dits within the appellation, it's a solid representation of the whole.

Inky ruby. An expansive bouquet evokes fresh dark berries, potpourri, vanilla and spicecake, and a smoky mineral note adds vibrant lift. Stains the palate with sweet blackberry, cherry cola and violet pastille flavors and picks up a salty olive nuance with air. Smooth and broad on the spice-laced finish, which hangs on with strong, fruit-driven tenacity.